♪ Still my soul the hour is hastening on ♪ ♪ When we shall be forever with the Lord ♪ ♪ When disappointment, grief and fear are gone ♪ love's purest joys restored. Be still, my soul, when change and tears are past. All safe and blessed we shall meet at last. Amen. What a precious thing about the peace that we have in God and the anticipation of future peace. We'll dismiss the little ones to go to class with Mrs. Shore to the creche. And if the rest of us could please open our Bibles to Psalm chapter 31. I'm excited about what the Lord's going to do this week. It'll be a great week. I'm sorry, Kathy, you're going to miss it. But I'm glad that you guys get to go on holiday. We'll be praying that God blesses your time away. But we're anticipating great things this week. And let's pray. And that's going to be the central focus of what we're going to do as it has been in the past. We're going to pray every day for God to bless that day. And that's why the prayer time comes first. From half nine to ten o'clock It's because we can't do it. I mean we want to we want to have spiritual ministry not just Have kids that will come and participate and so it's our desire that God really work in the hearts of those that do come All right, so I'm chapter 31 I want you to think about David's mood and what he's facing as we read through some of the beginning parts of this passage. It begins by saying to the chief musician, a psalm of David. Okay, so there's a psalm written for temple worship. And then David said, verse 1, in thee, O Lord, do I put my trust. Let me never be ashamed. Deliver me in thy righteousness. Bow down thine ear to me. Deliver me speedily. Be thou my strong rock for a house of defense to save me. For thou art my rock and my fortress. Therefore, for thy name's sake, lead me and guide me. Pull me out of the net that they have laid privily for me, for thou art my strength. Into thine hand I commit my spirit. Thou hast redeemed me, O Lord God of truth. I've hated them that regard lying vanities, but I trust in the Lord. I will be glad and rejoice in thy mercy, for thou hast considered my troubles, thou hast known my soul and adversities, and hast not shut me up into the hand of the enemy, thou hast set my feet in a large room. Have mercy upon me, O Lord, for I am in trouble. Mine eye is consumed with grief, yea, my soul and my belly. For my life is spent with grief and my years with sighing. My strength faileth because of mine iniquity and my bones are consumed. I was a reproach among all mine enemies, but especially among my neighbors, and a fear to mine acquaintance. They that did see me without fled from me. I'm forgotten as a dead man out of mind. I'm like a broken vessel, for I've heard the slander of many. Fear was on every side while they took counsel together against me. They devised to take away my life. So again, this is a Psalm of David, and it's written for temple worship. And rather than being perhaps a hymn of praise, it's basically a hymn of problems. He's going through and he's listing all these things that are overwhelming him. And as people would sing this, this is from the life, we believe, of David and what he was facing. David faced at different times, different struggles, uprisings against him. His kingship began as he fled from King Saul. But now, even as king, remember his sin with Bathsheba and killing Uriah the Hittite, and then the result of that, that he reaped in his life. One of those was his own son, Absalom, rising up against his father and David having to flee from Jerusalem. And perhaps it seems, as you read this, it seems that it's that time period in David's life that is what he is writing about. But as it's sung in temple worship, this psalm would find sympathy in the hearts of all the people that were gathered there. They could look at their lives and see the struggles that they were facing. And surely this morning, as we look at it, there's a lot of ways that we can enter into what David is saying in this psalm. Look at these words that he uses. the net they have laid privily for me. He speaks of in verse four, verse seven, my soul in adversities. Verse eight, the hand of the enemy. Verse nine, I'm in trouble. Verse 10, grief, sighing, strength faileth because of mine iniquity, my bones are consumed. Verse 11, reproach among all mine enemies. Verse 12, I'm forgotten as a dead man, like a broken vessel. Verse 13, heard the slander of many. They took counsel together against me. They devised to take away my life. Does it look like David's facing an uphill struggle? It does. I mean, life's tough sometimes. And it becomes very overwhelming. And David is expressing the reality of the enemy, but also the reality of just the struggle against what life is all about. You know, for us, as we seek to walk uphill towards heaven, we're facing the multitude going the other way, on their way to hell. It's not an easy thing in our day to stand as a believer and to overcome. It's an easy thing to be overwhelmed. And so this psalm this morning, I wanna just ask the question, what can help you overcome when you're overwhelmed? What does this psalm give for us as far as anchor points, things that we could grab hold of? David's feeling overwhelmed, but really when you evaluate the psalm, David overcomes. And so what can help us overcome when we feel overwhelmed? Let's pray. Ask God to bless his word to our hearts this morning. Father, we're again thankful for the psalms. Father, thank you for how they teach us to relate to you. Thank you for what they teach us about intercession and prayer and worship. Father, as I preach this morning, I need the help of the Holy Spirit. Father, I pray that he would guide me as I speak. I pray that our hearts would be tender to what he desires to do in our lives. Father, it's our desire this morning to meet with you with praise. You probably have already met with us in our Sunday school hour. Thank you for how you've encouraged us, how you've challenged us, how you've helped us. But Father, just like this week, when we come to a service, we can't have a service in our strength. Father, we can't have it in our wisdom. So we do ask that the Holy Spirit would illumine, we ask that the Holy Spirit would bless and guide. Father, that you meet with us and that you hinder the hinderer today, that you keep out the one that would seek to snatch away precious truth from us. And so, Lord, may we have the full benefit of what we can get from this, your word. It's in Christ's name I pray. Amen. The first thing that could be an anchor point for us as far as overcoming when we're overwhelmed is that God wants to control your life. God wants the controls of your life. You know, I'm not a real good backseat driver, passenger. If somebody else is driving, and it doesn't really matter who it is, I'm not the best. Why? Because I like to be in control. I like to, you know, I feel like a good driver. I feel like I can do a good job getting us, you know, where we need to go. And it doesn't, again, matter who it is in the driver's seat. I might say something that makes you realize, ah, he's a backseat driver, you know? But in life, we can all be backseat drivers when it comes to God wanting to control to our life. So he wants to control, but we feel like if I've got it in my hands, I can control it. It's a difficult thing for us to let go and let God have his way in directing us the way that he wants us to. But an anchor point for David was this fact that God wants the control of his life. He wants the control of our life because he is our God. Verse 14. David says, but I trusted in Thee, O Lord. I said, Thou art my God. He's God. Thou art my God. It's not just Thou art my friend, Thou art my companion, Thou art my acquaintance, Thou art my, you know, all the precious things that God is. But God, Thou art my God. God is the creator. Jesus, on creation day, all he did is he said, let there be light. We know it's Jesus because without him was not anything made that was made. Let there be light. The spirit of God moved upon the face of waters. Let there be, and it's there. Let there be, and it's there. He's God. This morning, if there is a problem that we have in our life, is it greater than God? No. He's God. He's the creator. He's the sustainer. You know, we spend all this money trying to figure out the Higgs boson thing, that particle that makes everything stick together. You know, I have a word for that particle that makes everything stick together. It is Jesus. It's his power. You split one atom and you have an atom bomb. You have a huge explosion. Whose power is that? God's. You know, he's not worried about the poor ice caps today. I read these articles and, you know, I just read one that said, you know what, we're entering another mini ice age. The next 30 years. You know, if that takes place, all these environmental people that have been so worried about global warming, it's just getting warmer, it's gonna be hotter and hotter, and in Scotland we're saying yes, you know? But all of them are going to be burying their heads in the sand going, we got it wrong. The ice caps are coming back. And I don't know that they'll even tell us because they're so into their theory. Because there are places in the world where they actually are growing. But who's in control of keeping the ice caps just to be what they need to be or there for as long as they need to be? And frankly, we don't need a bigger ice cube than necessary, do we? It's just what we need. Who's in control of that? God. So as I look at my life, you know, what's my problem today? David's listing all his problems, but then he goes, but thou art my God. There's nothing too hard for you. So he wants control of your life, he's your God. But you must put your life in his hand. Verse 15 says, my times are in thy hand. Deliver me from the hand of my enemy, and from them that persecute me. David said, but you're in control. I'm not worried. And David wasn't worried about his life. Remember the times where he could have killed King Saul, but he didn't? Why should I stretch forth my hand upon the Lord's anointed? And he said to God, you know, God will take care of him. In his time, God did take care of him. But in David's life too, David wasn't worried. Oh no, now I'm gonna die. Oh no, now this, God, my times are in your hands. Iris Stamphill wrote a hymn entitled, I Know Who Holds Tomorrow. And it says, I don't know about tomorrow, I just live from day to day. And I don't borrow from its sunshine, because the clouds, skies might turn to gray. And I don't worry about the future, because I know what Jesus said. And today, I'm gonna walk right beside him, because he's the one who knows what is ahead. There are things about tomorrow that I don't seem to understand, but I know who holds tomorrow, and I know who holds my hand. And each step is getting brighter as the golden stairs I climb. Every burden's getting lighter, and all the clouds are silver-lined. And over there, the sun is always shining, and no tear will ever dim the eye. And the ending of the rainbow, where the mountains, they touch the sky. There are many things about tomorrow I don't seem to understand, but I know who holds tomorrow, and I know who holds my hand. Yes, I know who holds my hand. If we're saved, the Bible says that we're in the hand of the Lord Jesus Christ and the hand of God the Father, and that no man's able to pluck them out of my Father's hand. I don't have to worry today and say, oh, my life's a mess and what am I gonna do? No, my life is in the control of God because I've given my life to God. That's David. David says, hey, hands off, my times are in my hand. Now, what problem, again, do we have today if God is on the throne and God is also involved in my life, if we've allowed him to be? And so an anchor point for us can be Let God take control of his life, of our life. But then also let God have his way in your life. Let God have his way in your life. Let him direct you. Let him direct you. Verse 16 says, make thy face to shine upon thy servant. Save me for thy mercy's sake. He's saying, he's crying out to God and saying, God illumine, illumine me, help me to see the way clear, make thy face to shine upon thy servant. This illustration would have made more sense to Israel as Israel experienced the guidance of God through the pillar of fire. They had seen the illumination of God directing them. In Psalm 36 9, David again says, for with thee is the fountain of life. In thy light shall we see light. As God comes, God is light. We talked about that as we looked at Moses last week. But it's that he's the one that illumines. Some people go through life and they look at it and say, I don't understand, why is this happening? And they can't see their way past anything. But as a believer, by the grace of God, we can have light that the world doesn't have. We could get frustrated today if we didn't understand that God's in control of the nations. We could get frustrated about polar ice caps. We could get frustrated about space and asteroids. We could get frustrated about the future. but not with the illumination of God that he's given to us, not with what we have through his word. For with thee is the fountain of life. In thy light shall we see light. So let him direct you, but let him defend you. Verse 17 says, let me not be ashamed, O Lord, for I've called upon thee. Let the wicked be ashamed. David's sin was in the past. It was forgiven. It was done. David had been restored by God's grace. Yes, the consequences were grace, but that shame was in the past. He said, let me not be ashamed, but let them be ashamed. Let the wicked be ashamed. Our world is so perverse. It's one of the great frustrations of being a believer at this time. You think about what our world honors. Our world honors homosexuality. Our world honors evolution. Our world honors abortion. Our world honors atheism. Is that an honest statement? Like nobody would disagree with that. I think I could stand on the street and say our world honors homosexuality. Our world honors evolution. Our world honors abortion. Our world honors atheism. But in contrast to that, they seek to shame those who believe in the sanctity of marriage, creation, right to life, and God. And again, I could stand in the street and say that, because that's a true statement. And that's what David was seeing in his state. He's saying, why, they're seeking to shame me, but let them be ashamed. They're the ones that should be ashamed. You know, I read this past week in my devotions. I was reading through the book of Exodus and I found the verses that deal with homosexuality. Interestingly, in one case, the list of sins around homosexuality are incest, and it names incest with uncles, incest with aunts, incest with mothers, incest with... I mean, it's all these things. Then it lists homosexuality. Then it lists bestiality, right? And I don't, for the sake of the kids, need to get into what those terms have to do with, but isn't it sad? Our world would not say incest is okay, thank God, yet. Our world would not say bestiality is okay, and again I say, thank God, yet. But our world says homosexuality is okay, even though it's as unnatural as bestiality and incest. Okay. But our world honors it. And for anybody to say, to take a stand against it and say, you know what? I believe in the sanctity of marriage. And just like any other sin, that sin can be forgiven by the grace of God. But it is sin. They say villain. And that person is condemned. Sad, isn't it? We stand in a very tough day to take a stand for the Lord. But it's not any different than any other day in reality. I mean, this battle has been on for a long time. Again, the same with evolution. Evolution is taught across the boards in schools as fact, not theory. It's a theory a man came up with in the 1800s that said an explosion caused something extremely complex and extremely large. It's amazing. But our world accepts it, they embrace it, oh, I believe science, and they're so anti-creation when this world shows design, this world shows purpose, this world shows that it's like an intricate timepiece. It's more accurate than the most intricate timepiece, and it has run longer than any timepiece. And it's extremely accurate. But they vilify those that believe creation versus those that believe evolution. Same with atheism versus God, you know, all these things. So what did David say? God, defend me, defend me. Put the shame in the right place and then let him deliver you. Let them be silent in the grave. Let the lying lips be put to silence, which speak grievous things proudly and contemptuously against the righteous. Let me say that phrase again because it's so appropriate to our day, which speak grievous things proudly and contemptuously against the righteous. Listen again on the media, this person that's had this, I hesitate to say it again for the sake of the kids, but there's a guy that's become a woman, right? And he's being honored. And I saw a title, I didn't read the story, I don't really want to read the story, saying that, The media are afraid to criticize Jenner, right? That's his name, her name. He's honored. Yeah, I mean, the things, they're so proud and so arrogant, and the things that they say. And David says, let their lips be put to silence. Oh, for the day, don't you long for the day when God and His power is gonna say, enough's enough, where God and His, hand the wicked shall not be unpunished." Where God is going to rise up against these things. But you know the precious thing about this, and David said this, again, let them be silent in the grave, let the lying lips be put to silence. He is speaking about their death, but can I say, just so you know the context, David is speaking in warfare. His enemy was physical, and remember, Epsilon, in that case, would die, and many of his soldiers would die. So there is a physical battle taking place. Certainly it's not our desire this morning as a church to ever say, let the lying, you know, in this case, I'd love to say, let them be silent in the grace. Let them be silent in the grace of God. Let them get saved. Let them be forgiven. Let them experience the mercy of God. Let them understand the mind of God and see correctly. 1 Corinthians 6, 9 through 11 says, know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived, neither fornicators, sexual sinners, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, that's homosexuals especially in abusing boys, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners shall inherit the kingdom of God. Why don't I want somebody to be a homosexual? Why don't I want somebody to be a liar? Why don't I want somebody to be a drunkard? Why don't I want somebody to be an adulterer? Because somebody in that lifestyle cannot be saved. No more than you and I can be saved in our lifestyle without Christ. But you know what's precious about that passage? Paul just said that. He said, I want you to know they cannot enter the kingdom of God. in that condition. But you know what he goes on to say? Verse 11, and such were some of you. As he's speaking to the Corinthian church, he's saying that was your lifestyle. Praise God, God set you free. Such were some of you, but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the spirit of our God. You know, again, I long to see, like David Attenborough, I pray for his salvation. I'd love to see David Attenborough repent of the theory that he has, you know, just been a great proponent of and say, I was wrong. God is the creator. God's the designer. I'd love it. There's nothing I'd love more this morning than to lead a homosexual to the Lord Jesus Christ and show him the power of God to set him free from something that, frankly, the majority of them want freedom from. Wouldn't that be great? Wouldn't it be a blessing today to have somebody that's an adulterer, somebody that is a drunkard, somebody that has a lifestyle of sin set free by the power of God because God's able? But David comforted himself with God's direction, God's defense, and God's deliverance. And then also, another anchor point for us in these times is that God knows those who honor him. God will greatly bless you for fearing him. Verse 19 says, oh, how great is thy goodness, which thou hast laid up for them that fear thee. Do you know there's a reward in heaven for those that don't fear man, but fear God? Instead of becoming a proponent of what men want, for a person that doesn't matter what men want, they care about what God wants. Because God is laying up treasure, goodness for them that fear Thee. You know, when Job was facing the great trial of his faith, as he went through losing his crops, losing his, where was God when that was taking place? If God was observing in heaven, it says in Job 42, beginning of verse eight, as God comes and he rebukes the friends of Job and say, you are wrong in your position against my servant. He says to them, therefore take unto you now seven bullocks and seven rams, and go to my servant Job, and offer up for yourselves a burnt offering. And my servant Job shall pray for you, for him will I accept, lest I deal with you after your folly, in that ye have not spoken of me the thing which is right, like my servant Job. How did God know that? because he was present, right? Job took a stand for God. He honored God. He didn't blaspheme God. He didn't curse God and die like his wife said. And yet these friends came and they had these theories about the sin in Job's life and why God was dealing with them. They were wrong and God knew it. But God witnessed that stand that Job took. You know, as we take a stand, He's observing. In verse nine and 10, it says, so Eliphaz the Timonite and Bildad the Shuhite and Zophar the Namathite went and did according as the Lord commanded them. The Lord also accepted Job and the Lord turned the captivity of Job when he prayed for his friends. Also the Lord gave Job twice as much as he had before. Did God take care of his servant that stood for him? He did. You know, do we have to be discouraged today and say, oh, it's all wrong, it's all going their way? It seems like it. But you know, God sees our stand that we take. When evangelicalism and the vast majority of evangelicals have compromised to accommodate the world, you look at, who would have ever thought the Church of Scotland would come out and say what they've said in the last few years? When everybody else compromises, when those that stand strong and share the Lord, honor Him, you know, God's aware. of them that fear him. You know, Peter and John said it this way about political correctness. Acts 4, 19 and 20. But Peter and John answered and said unto them, whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more than unto God, judge ye. For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard. Couldn't we ask our Prime Minister today and say, Prime Minister, if in your sight it's right to hearken unto you and the government more than unto God, you judge. But as for me, I'm gonna please God. That's exactly what these men did is they took a stand for God. They said, you know, it doesn't matter how much somebody else wants me to change what I'm gonna say, I'm gonna say what honors God. You know, when I die, I'm not gonna give an account to the Prime Minister. I'm not gonna give an account to the first minister. I'm not gonna give an account to parliament. I'm not gonna give an account to the police. Who will I give an account to? God. You know what? If I fear God, I'm not gonna bow to the pressure and say, you know what? I fear you more than I fear God. No, I fear God. God honors that. Especially if you take a public stand for him. Look at what it says there in verse 19. which thou hast wrought for them that trust in thee before the, what? Before the sons of man. God, all the goodness of them that fear thee, for them that have stood in front of who? Men. Wrought for them that trust in thee before the sons of men. How would you like to be, Noah? No, I want you to build a boat. Okay, what's a boat? What's a flood? Water coming down from the sky? The Bible speaks about a water canopy and it talks about rain not coming upon the earth until after the flood or during the flood. Right? So it's all being explained to him. Okay, this big floating thing that he's going to create. He's going to spend 120 years Can you imagine the mocking that took place as Noah's building? Ah, Noah, crazy old man. What you doing? Building a boat? Ha ha, you know, that's great. Like it's never rained. You're a nut. And he's a preacher. The Bible says of righteousness. So not only is he building the boat, he's looking at them and saying, look, God's going to curse this earth with a flood. The flood is gonna come because of the wrath of God. This boat is the only place of safety. If you wanna be saved, follow me. Only eight people get saved. It's Noah, his three sons, and their wives. So we know that everybody else opposed Moses, or Moses, Noah. Everybody else. You wanna be Noah? You know, we talk about how hard it is. And it is, it's not an easy day. But you know, is it tougher in Iran to stand for God than it is here? Is it tougher in North Korea? Is it tougher in China? Yeah. So why aren't we taking a stronger stand for the Lord? We ought to be unashamedly standing for the Lord. God, I'm a fear God before you so that you can see who God is. Because, and listen to this, I care more about their soul than I do about myself if I take that stand. Churches that say, oh, you know, we want to lower the bar so that we can get sinners in. The problem is God doesn't want sinners. God wants saints. And for people to be saved, they gotta be confronted and said, look, that sin, that needs to change. That's not okay. God does not accept that. That oughta, in your heart, convict you as you stand before God. But listen, God can forgive you of that. God can save you from that. God can set you free. That's what they need. So I care more about them. Anybody that says, here's an illustration. There was a young kid in front of my house, and he had a half a case of alcohol. And I confronted him, because he wasn't 18. I knew he wasn't. I said, how old are you? 17. How old are you? 15. I said, well, that case of beer can just stay there, because you're not allowed to have that. It was sitting on the ground. Well, they picked it up and started walking away. And I was following him, because I was going to call the police and say, look, you know, there's got underage drinking going on here. And as I'm going, he calls across the street to a friend of his. That friend comes over blankety blank, cursing me out, saying, what are you doing following him? And I looked at him, and I said, look, I care more about your friend than you do. You don't care that he's addicted to a substance that's gonna destroy him, and he's breaking the law. You don't care, but I do. I love him more than you do. See, this world that wants to pat sinners on the hand and say, hey, your sin's okay, and I want you to feel good about it, you know what kind of a disservice they're doing to that person? They're binding them in the bondage that they're in, making it even harder for them to be set free. But somebody that looks at an alcoholic and says, you know, I understand you got a real problem with drink, but it's not because the way you're born, it's because of sin and God can set you free. That's compassion. And that is what they need. And so fear God, honor God, God knows that. God will take you and put you in a place of safety. You get to abide in God's presence. Verse 20 says, God says, if you take a stand for me, you get to experience my presence. Is that worth it? I think so. You get to walk with me. You get to know me. You get to dwell with me. Hey, listen, I'd rather have that than any friend within society. God says, I will hide you. Thou shall hide them in the secret of thy presence. That's precious. You know, the covenanters, when they were put to death at Grassmarket in Edinburgh, a few hundred years ago, as they are on death row, there are stories about them having to say to God, God, stop revealing yourself to me. It's too glorious. I can't handle it. They were so given a glimpse of the glory of God. They weren't scared to go to their death. It was nothing. I mean, they read bold statements about their love for God and their obedience to God. That's God's presence. You know that couple in Northern Ireland that were put on trial, they evidenced that. They're the ones that had the bakery and they wanted to make a cake for a homosexual that came in and said, I want the gay pride, whatever, put on this cake. And they said no. And a judge said that's, what did he say, sectarianism? Was that it? Or prejudice or something like that. Anyway, but you know, they came out and read a statement afterwards, they said, doesn't matter if this happens again if this happens again we'll do the same thing because we are honoring God is a summary of their statement it was a really precious statement and again about that no Muslim printer is going to be forced to print Christian literature if he doesn't want to it's a double standard I hope we all understand that but it took place why It's gonna take place. But you know, they've got a greater blessing for taking the stand than if they hadn't took the stand. They gotta walk with God. They gotta know the presence of God. When I was in Colorado at my grandparents' house, they live up in the mountains, Durango, Colorado, and here in Scotland, we don't get very many thunderstorms, but in the States, we get a lot, and in Colorado, they get a lot of thunderstorms. And when a storm comes through the mountains, when lightning strikes up in the canyon, The reverberations of that, it's like you hear it coming, it's like a huge bowling ball, and when it passes by, literally, it shakes the house. And it was that kind of a storm, I mean, a fierce lightning storm, and, you know, the house is shaking. And I'm sleeping in a living room, and I normally love thunderstorms, but at this time, I was kinda scared. There was a verse on the wall, and it said this, Psalm 91.1. He that dwelleth in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. Do you know what I was doing? I was meditating. He that dwelt in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. You know, and that verse became very precious to me at that point when all the storms come in because of the place, the place of the presence of God. That's awesome. When we, when we understand what it is, by the way, if I'm under the shadow of the Almighty, who am I under the shadow of? I'm under the shadow of God. What is casting the shadow is there. You know what, if you wanna know God, you wanna know the presence of God, take a stand for God. Because that's what God does for those that take a stand for him. He puts them in a place of safety in his presence. And you get to know God's blessing where you are. Verse 21, it said, And again, if this is Absalom in the revolt in Jerusalem, this is Jerusalem. David's saying, God has blessed me, restored me, God will bless me, God will restore me in a very public way. No doubt there's messianic reference to the Lord Jesus Christ, his death on the cross, but his resurrection in Pentecost would take place there in the city as well. But will God vindicate his servants at times? We all live by a large city. It's a large, very wicked city that needs Christ. But you know, is it possible even within a city For God to vindicate his servants, it is. I'm ready for it. I hope in God's mercy, God does. You know, we pray about it. I hope God will disprove evolution. God can. He can. If scientists would be honest, it would be disproven already. But God can disprove it, and perhaps that'll take place someday, because when you read in Revelation about the end times, it seems that there's an understanding that there is a God, which in our generation, it's not here. We're atheists. But the Bible says they'll blaspheme God. Of course, even our ungodly, unsaved world, they still blaspheme God. So maybe it's just atheists aren't true. They're not truly atheists, right? But you know, I long for the day for God to vindicate himself. He will. in His timing. The Bible says, every knee shall bow, every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. It will take place. And so, God will take you and put you in a place of safety. And God still hears you when you feel like He doesn't. There's another anchor point for us. God still hears you when you feel like He doesn't. You know, you might look at your life and whatever circumstance you're in, and you might feel like, God's not blessing me. Especially when the wicked are succeeding. Especially when it seems like the wicked are getting ahead. God, why don't you bless me? It seems like the wicked are being blessed. God, have I lost your blessing? And a hasty assessment of God's presence may suggest God isn't with you. David did that. Verse 22, for I said in my haste, I'm cut off before thy eyes. Now hasty assessment, David looked at it and said, oh, I'm cut off from the blessing of God. And yes, I did sin against God. And yes, Absalom is part of that revolt, if that's in that story where this is taking place. I said in my haste, I'm cut off. You know, have you ever done that? Lord, I've just lost it. Why don't I have your blessing? Don't give into that very easily because God doesn't easily remove his blessing. You look at, David had committed murder. David had committed adultery. There were consequences to David's sin, but did God restore David? God did. Peter denied Jesus Christ. He said three times, I don't know who this is. And yet Jesus, afterwards, he restores him, having already prayed for him. Peter, I prayed for you that faith fail not. God doesn't easily cast away, so don't be hasty to think that you've lost God's blessing just because things are going difficultly in a day where the wicked seem like they're succeeding. So despite the false assessment, God has heard you. Nevertheless, even though I felt that way, David said, thou heardest the voice of my supplications when I cried unto thee. Even though I felt like that, I felt like I was cast away, God, you heard me. You know, this morning God hears you. Don't be discouraged. It seems like the world's getting ahead and things are just running down the tubes. Don't get discouraged. God still hears, despite that false assessment. And then in conclusion here, God wants you to love him and to trust him. Verse 23, he says, oh, love the Lord, all ye his saints. For the Lord preserved the faithful and plentifully rewarded the proud doer. He's saying, love God. He's got it under control. He's gonna take care of it. He's gonna bless bountifully, and he's gonna take care of those proud people that are stiff-necked and rebellious against him, that are proclaiming all these things. God's gonna take care of it. So just love God. Just keep your heart in love with God. God wants you to love him and to trust him. Oh, love the Lord, all ye his saints. And then God will strengthen your heart as you depend upon him. Verse 24. It says, be of good courage, and he shall strengthen your heart, all you that hope in the Lord. Have you ever felt like your heart's mush? I have. Monday and Tuesday this past week, I just felt oppressed. I did. I felt like I had a burden on my back. I believe it was spiritual, that there was a battle that was taking place. I couldn't see it, didn't really know what it was. From Wednesday on, I've been refreshed. What changed? Nothing I could see. But you know, what does God do? And this verse was a comfort. I was studying this while I was facing that. Be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart. Don't despair, don't quit, don't go, oh, it's too big, it's too great, I'm so sick of going against it. Just say, look, keep courage, be of good courage, he'll strengthen my heart. And unbeliever, you've never faced, you've never known that. If you're not safe, you've never known the joy of being able to say to God, God, I've got a burden that's too big for me. God, take it off. And feeling God take it away and going, I don't know where it went, but it's gone. When I was on deputation, raising our support to come over here, I had to call pastors, which sounds nice. But pastors are busy people. And usually I get the church secretary. And I was trying to get a meeting with people I didn't even know. You know, this is who I am. Hi. And we're guys called us there. That's how he's leading it We're excited about going and we just want to get to the field and can we have a meeting come present? You know to your church what? What God is doing in our heart? And I talked to secretaries. I talked to answer machines. I didn't get calls back. I expected when I started I I was a youth pastor. I expected when I started that every pastor that I called would go, hey brother, that's great. Praise the Lord. God has called you to do this. That's wonderful. I just want to encourage you today and pray with you. Even if I can't have you for a meeting, I just want to be a blessing to you today. It's not what I got when I got on the phone. And I came to the point of going, I can't call anymore. And I told the Lord, I said, I can't call anymore. I'm done. Because my heart is not right. I didn't have a right attitude about it. I couldn't pick up the phone and call with the right attitude. I didn't want to call with a bad attitude. You know what was neat for me? That was like six months into what we were doing. Is God took the burden away. Completely. For the rest of deputation. Four years and three months. How? I didn't change anything. But God did. You know, that's the thing. And I get sick of it, to be honest. And actually, maybe the reason I'm preaching this message is because I felt it more than anybody. I'm tired of evolution succeeding, perversion succeeding, unbelief succeeding. I'm tired of it. But be of good courage. You still have strength in your heart. All you've got is hope in the Lord. He's God. He's on the throne. He's able, and my times are in that hand. You know what? This church is in God's hand. Free God to church. It's God's plan. It's not mine. It's not something I can control. It's something God has to do. It's not going to happen until God does it. You know, it's happening. I'm encouraged as far as what we've seen the Lord do the last five years. God's been very good to us. But it's got to be God. Has to be. But we can trust him. We might feel overwhelmed. you know, heavy burdens and enemies and all these things crashing down on us. If you wanna get rid of it, just go to God. And be reminded, it's God's battle, it's not ours. God's able to take care of it. Rest in his presence. But to do that, what do you have to do? You have to take a stand. You can't let the fear of men overcome and say, I'm gonna call to you, I'm gonna obey you. No, because God honors those that honor him. You gotta fear God first. Please God, take that stand. And I trust God will give you the strength to do it. And he's gonna bless you for it. And be willing to honor him. May God bless his word to our hearts. Let's pray. Father, we're thankful for the grace that you give. We need to be encouraged. We stand in an ungodly day. And Father, my heart goes out to people that are bound in sin, but it is sin. I can't say it's not just because I wanted to feel good. I don't want someone with cancer to feel good about their cancer and die from it. I'd rather they acknowledged it, even if it's very difficult, and find a solution. And that's what we want for people that are in sin. We don't want to embarrass them by their sin. We don't want to belittle them because they're sinning, because we're sinners too. But Father, they don't know what it is to be set free. And Father, we want them to know that Jesus Christ can give them the victory over their sin. And Lord, we pray that the day would come that evolution would fall on its face before God, just like that day God did to the Ark of the Covenant. Lord, that they would bow the knee and yield to the Creator God. And Lord, that day will come. It'll come in heaven, and it'll come on earth during the millennium. But if it please you, oh, we'd love to see a day like that, even in our community, even if it's just Lonehead, despite all the rest of Scotland. We pray for a day of revival, a day of spiritual awakening, and we'll thank you for it. Thank you for your grace to us this morning. It's in Christ's name we pray, amen. M390, I surrender all.